Patmos Cluster 2

A declining Christian majority, with low importance placed on religion in daily life and a growing secular minority.

Countries in Cluster 2

Opportunities for Bible engagement

There is a general warmth towards the Bible. Religion is not important in people’s daily lives but eight in ten believe in God or a higher power.

Most identify with a Christian tradition (77%) and family is important to people, over six in ten say caring for family and close friends is their main purpose in life.

57% are interested in learning more about the Bible

58% agree the Bible is a useful guide for learning right from wrong

68% believe it is good for children to know some stories from the Bible

A line with 3 icons coming off it, accompanied by percentages. At bottom, a larger person and a smaller one - 68%. In the middle, a thought bubble with a cross and a tick in it - 58%. At the top, an open book with a cross on it and a lightbulb - 57%.

Top three words people chose to describe the Bible:

wisdom

a historical artefact

complex

Challenges for Bible engagement

Rising secularism, particularly among young people, and low regular use and confidence in the Bible within the Christian community present significant challenges for Bible engagement.

26% of 15–24-year-olds identify as nonreligious, compared to 12% for the whole cluster

Four in ten Christians never use the Bible, almost double the global average

Interest in the Bible is lowest among young people (15–24), 57% are not interested in learning more about the Bible

A line with 3 icons coming off it. At the bottom, an open book and a frowning face - 57%. In the middle, a person with a calendar marked with an X - 4/10. At the top, 3 people - 26%.

How will this affect Bible engagement in Central and Eastern Europe?

The Patmos data highlights a crucial generational transition. While there is a general warmth and respect for the Bible, young people (15–24) are more likely to identify as nonreligious and show lower interest in the Bible.

Despite this, most remain part of the Christian community, underscoring the need to help young people discover the timeless wisdom of Scripture for their daily lives. By addressing their unique needs, we can inspire a new generation to encounter the Bible for themselves.

An icon of a lightbulb surrounded by a circle of 8 people, with light glowing towards them.

Key question

What different approaches could we take to make the Bible more accessible and appealing to the younger generation?

Understanding our audience groups

We have identified audience groups within each Patmos Cluster. In Cluster 4, we found seven distinct audience groups. The chart below shows the distribution of these groups across Patmos cluster 4.